Day 4

JULY 30, 2008 – Day 4: Salmon, ID to Hungry Horse, MT.- 283.89 Miles

Continental Divide – Idaho/Montana Border

This day started just like the three before it. Hot! Another day in the high 90’s low 100’s. It would be a short day, less than 300 miles, so I choose to go lidless once again. The old noggin was cooking pretty well so I tried using a little Coppertone mousse, I may have a good idea here, and I think it actually worked a little. Caught Interstate 93 out of Salmon and headed north towards Missoula, MT. I follow the Continental Divide for a short while and then parallel the Bitterroot Range up to Missoula. In Missoula I pulled into Montana Harley-Davidson to pick up another t-shirt. Turns out it was departure day for a lot of riders heading to Sturgis, SD for the motorcycle rally? The girl at the register explained that everyone going to Sturgis was getting 10% off. I explained that I was not going to Sturgis I was going to Alaska. When she asked her supervisor if I qualified for the discount, the supervisor approached me and said no, in the same breath she said, “However, he does qualify for the Alaskan discount.” When I inquired as to what the Alaskan discount was, she looked at me and said, “Oh, about 15%.” It must be all that good clean living.

Flat Head Lake Look Out

Heading north out of Missoula the hot winds began to pick up and I found myself getting tossed around again all the way up past Flat Head Lake. Once past the lake the winds got lighter, but warmer, the rest of the way to Hungry Horse. Hungry Horse is the first place I booked a reservation. Knowing I already had a room at the “historic Tamarack Lodge” I stopped for a beer and some grub in town. The saloon must have been built during the 1800’s. More cowboys than you could shake a stick at. As I finished my hot wings and beer I noticed a young girl dressed in traditional Mennonite clothing sitting on the bike. Normally, I might have exchanged strong words with a stranger sitting on my motorcycle, but as I approached her I noticed she was giggling profusely while pretending to be riding the bike. She even made a few motor sounds. As I went for my camera to capture the moment she jumped off the bike and into the van parked next to it. A man, possibly her father, explained that they did not like to have their pictures taken and I respected their wishes. Turns out they travel to most of the establishments in town to sell their fruits and vegetables. I actually bought a pound of cherries from them, after which I continued north another three miles and there it was, the Historic Tamarack Lodge. I had booked two nights at the lodge. The plan was to rest up at the lodge that afternoon, and set out on a photo expedition through Glacier National Park on day 5. Then relax once again on the afternoon of day five before heading out for the Canadian border and Calgary on day six. Right according to plan I found myself relaxing on my front porch eating cherries with the local black lab, by 4:00pm that afternoon.